GM Bret’s Outpost II Doom comes to Dustpawn! (Inactive)

Game Master BretI

Fort save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

No way for Mongo to make space with Theodric there, unfortunately, short of stepping away himself.

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"Ow! No biting!" Mongo takes advantage of the creature's distraction to lay into it with his sword.

+1 adamantine longsword, Power Attack, IC, haste, flank: 1d20 + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 37
Damage, Power Attack, IC: 1d8 + 7 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 6 + 2 = 20

+1 adamantine longsword (haste attack), Power Attack, IC, haste, flank: 1d20 + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 34
Damage, Power Attack, IC: 1d8 + 7 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 6 + 2 = 18

+1 adamantine longsword (iterative attack), Power Attack, IC, haste, flank: 1d20 + 10 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 10 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 17
Damage, Power Attack, IC: 1d8 + 7 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 6 + 2 = 17

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Crit confirm?: 1d20 + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 15 - 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 27
Possible crit damage: 1d8 + 7 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 6 + 2 = 19

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Swift action for Armored Vigor to get 4 temp hp.

Mongo thrusts his longsword through Nalan’s heart and the huge creature falls to the ground. Shortly after that his body returns to its normal form.

A few boards fall from the hole that Nalan made in the wall, and the last few people are seen running away from the combat.

Combat over.

Shortly after that, Dalviss comes out to see what happened. He is surprised to see Nalan dead on the ground.

Frowning, he ask “What happened?” gesturing to the body and then the hole in his Inn.

Do we want Tim to try to save him with breath of life? It would risk prolonging the fight unless Penny can bludgeon him unconscious.

Got the go ahead in the Hangout chat.

Seeing Nalan fall from an obviously fatal wound, Timtenzekil springs up to the massive body. "Be ready, in case 'e wakes up!" he warns, sapphires on his glove shining as he activates the magic.

Breath of Life: 5d8 + 9 ⇒ (3, 6, 1, 4, 5) + 9 = 28

Mongo realizes what happened and at Timtenzekil’s shout gets out of the way.

Timtenzekil leaps forward and uses their magical gloves to attempt to revive Nalan. It works, but Nalan is still unconscious from the wound. His body still shifts back to normal, it appears even the short death he suffered is enough to break the curse.

Once you explain what happened, Dalviss smiles and says “Thank you for saving my friend. I had no idea it was the curse that was causing him to swell up like that, evidently the change can be very rapid.”

He then gets Nalan back into his room. Looking out the large hole in the wall, he shrugs and gets a blanket to hang over the opening. “I will fix the hole later, once things have settled down.”

How long ago did Nalan fall ill? Was it fewer than ten days?

We can go get a remove curse scroll from the leather store or something and cure Nalan, while we wait for the emissary…

When a humanoid becomes an id mutant, its physical deformations almost always result in a resemblance to a specific animal. For up to 10 days after a humanoid transforms into an id mutant, break enchantment or remove curse can remove the template.

Nalan was cured. Dying breaks the curse. Breath of Life doesn’t prevent the death.

Rubbing his chin, Dalviss says “It was last night that he really started felling ill. He went to bed early, which is why I was surprised when he was still asleep this morning and asked you to check on him.”

“This transformation must hit pretty fast, although his body looked a little swollen it certainly wasn’t something that would make a hole like that!” gesturing at the broken Inn wall.

Admiral Drace polishes his vrock-wing aviator badge and thinks about what to do next. While we have time, we should evacuate noncombatants. Do you think the mayor can be convinced to do this?

"Agreed, this place is not safe. More citizens might get transformed. Spread the news what it looks like and get out of here if you can. We can handle one of those things, but not a mob of them."

Dalviss comes back through the curtain, out to where you are discussing how to evacuate the town.

“Might be tough to convince folks of that. Most folks normally wouldn’t want to just pack up and leave, and a number of them aren’t at their most cooperative of late.”

Gesturing to the Inn, he adds “I plan to protect what is mine. I suspect a lot of others would feel the same!”

Turning towards the door, he says “Speaking of which, I better get in there before another fight breaks out!”

Having said his piece, he heads back into the common room of the Inn.

"Well, I guess it is what it is. Shall we distribute the orbs and make ready? Anyone else have any bright ideas what to do while we wait?"

I will take that Searing Light orb.

assuming we have some hours before the emissary gets here. I'm not sure what else there is to do; Abtaroh seems like the only loose end.

Drace asks around for Abtaroh again, once again hoping to find someone whose heard of the cleric's whereabouts.

Gather Information: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

hours: 1d4 ⇒ 2

We had a grand plan to cast lots of Death Ward. Do we have a precise-enough sense of the timing for that?

Deathward lasts 7 minutes off a scroll. You have a mental sense of where The Emmissary is. You would need to decide at what point you use them.

Tycho goes off to try and find Abtaroh in town. He convinces several people to talk with him, but none of them have seen the woman he describes. He does find the guard who let her go, but he doesn’t know where she went after that.

Is there a sense we can get of where the emissary will land? I'm just wondering how this might shake out from our PCs point of view: are we expecting the Emissary to land at a random place in town, and we'll have to run and find it? Or will we be able to wait/ambush its landing spot?

It knows your approximate locations and you know where it is. You expect that you will be able to anticipate about where it will come down, within a few hundred yards or so.

Since you both know where the other is, I would think that would make it difficult to ambush each other.

We had a grand plan to cast lots of Death Ward. Do we have a precise-enough sense of the timing for that?

I was planning on wasting a round and reading it when the battle began. I'd hate to make an assumption and use the scroll for nothing. Even then, the thing could land and immediately pop off to some other location. Ugh.

Mongo has no ability to cast it on himself, so I would like to tyr to plan things out a little more, if we're able.

"Or we could destroy it. Mr. uh... damn it. You are the most confusing person I've ever met. Admiral? Anyway, Didn't you say that destroying it would weaken the creature? If you are sure about that, having faced too many creatures warped by the thing, I vote to destroy it right now."

"As long as that won't stop the spheres from workin'. Wasn't there some sorta magic you were all excited about on one of them? Something to protect us?"

Do we think destroying the thing would stop the spheres from functioning?

Spheres would still function, you just would lose the ability to recharge them. Take the spheres out before destroying the Orrery.

Looks like Tycho is the only one against breaking the orrery, so let’s just do it; Tycho is ready.

"Yea, there was a death ward spell. The same one that I got on a scroll. There are also a few others that might come in handy. I'd sure like the one that allows me to fly. I've been in battles with flying creatures and it was very frustrating. Someone should take the align weapon orb in case it it vulnerable to law or something. I suspect it will be chaotic evil. I can use a blessing to make my weapon good aligned so I won't need it - I hope."

Warpac consults his notes and rattles off the orb abilities:

The group retires to a room and discusses what to do with the Orrery and the orbs. When it becomes obvious that they are in the minority, Tycho unpacks the Orrery and takes all of the spheres out of it.

Mongo goes up to the base and brings out his adamantine longsword. With a mighty blow, he splits the Orrery in half. You get an immediate projection of anger and pain from The Emmissary. The two sections of the Orrery start to crumble, and soon all that is left is dust and the spheres, four of which have no charges.

You notice that The Emmissary seems to be speeding up. You still have a couple of hours to make preparations.

Please do list who is carrying each sphere, at very least in the Player Notes document.
I think we will reuse slide 10 for the confrontation with The Emmissary if you want to place yourselves.

I put Warpac next to the orb of flying in the notes. I placed Warpac south of the house.

Theodric will take searing light, teleport and resilient sphere.

I have positioned him and Mango behind a nearby bush.

Mongo stands next to Warpac, ready to accept the second fly charge, if the opportunity presents itself.

Are we going to be able to time the arrival well enough to cast death ward in the minute or so beforehand? If not, Mongo will take the death ward sphere and hand off the scroll, since he can't cast from the scroll.

Tim will have everyone covered in life bubble once it gets down to about an hour out. Do we know any energy damage it might use? Communal resist can be cast once it's imminent.

Tycho changes into Abtaroh, and places all of the unused orbs in her haversack. She hands Mongo the orb of Align Weapon in case he needs it. I updated whose got what in the player docs and in the discussion.

She uses a wand of Longstrider and Heightened awareness upon herself before skulking behind a bush, muttering to herself.

Abtaroh will use heightened awareness to add +4 to initiative if it's still up when the Emissary comes. Not sure how reasonable a 10-minute window here is.

Theodric will be paranoid and use his wand of mage armor a couple times to make sure it's up and running.

He will also cast Named Bullet on his dagger "The Emissary", See Invisibility, Spider Climb and Tongues.

All are 90 minutes except mage armor which is 60.

Mongo will have the death ward sphere in hand, ready to activate it on himself at first sign of the emissary.

Melody gives Mongo a fresh heroism. Anybody else want to be heroic?

Tycho for sure, if you want to burn one on a caster. If not no worries.

Tycho gives themselves longstrider. That's all I got :) Ready.

Theodric would love a heroism.

Eh, they're second level. Theodric and Tycho are both heroic!

"MNAR!"

Warpac would love to be heroic too.

Warpac would love to be heroic too. Like Mongo he has his scroll of death ward ready to go.

As you sense The Emmissary’s approach, you notice that everyone seems a bit on edge. A fight breaks out at the well because someone claimed someone else was using too big a pail. Another breaks out because someone looked at someone else cross eyed.

Dalviss is pacing back and forth in the common room, armor and weapon at the ready. He has already broken up at least a dozen fights so far today.

Although there are always a few around, it seems like more people have let their pets wander off. There are several dogs and cats wandering around as well as a mule that seems to have wandered off.

One of the goat herders trys to pick a fight with Warpac and Mongo, claiming they are in the way. Eventually they wander off.

There are several minor altercations and interruptions, but you are now at the point where you think The Emmissary is about 10 minutes away.

Timtenzekil touches Penny's skin and summons protective bark once more.

Going to wait maybe 4-5 minutes and then apply acid maw, strong jaw, bull's strength, and finally death ward. CL10 should give a few minutes to work with once combat starts.

"Anyone else need a ward?"

Theodric nods at the offer of Death Ward.

With a worried look, Alysia and the guard decide to cover the wells and leave. Alysia tells you she is headed back to her temple.

A few minutes after they leave, the rest of the villagers start to disperse. Things are tense, but it seems most are looking only to return home. Even the Inn empties of patrons, leaving only Dalviss, Leeara and the still recovering Nalan there.

Timtenzekil casts his buffs and shortly after that the sky suddenly darkens all around you! You don’t see anyplace not covered in twilight, it definitely covers more than just the town of Dustpawn!

As the darkness falls, you hear howls and the sounds of thrashing. Some of you see villagers in the distance on the street spasm and start to transform.

The closest source of the howling is at the door to the Mineshaft Inn where you see Dalviss suddenly double over in pain as his body seems to bulge and expand; the man undergoes a swift and agonizing transformation into a wolflike creature before your very eyes!!! Still clutching his halberd, he stumbles out into the street.

From within the Inn you can hear Leeara scream in terror at this transformation. Several dogs start barking as well!

Bolded may act:

Round 1:

Theodric
Mango
Melody
Mongo
Tycho
Warpac
Penny
Wolf Dalviss
Timtenzekil

know arcana: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28

Theodric casts improved invisibility on himself as Mango gives him a guidance. Theodric then stealthily vaults the bush and sneaks up to the platform edge.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 36
stealth, including invis: 1d20 + 37 ⇒ (1) + 37 = 38

Mango then makes his way down to Melody"Squawk!"

Oops! Just realized that I had forgotten to give the DC on the knowledge check! Fixed!

Theodric casts a spell and disappears while Mango moves towards Melody.

Bolded may act:

Round 1:

Theodric Improved Invisibility
Mango
Melody
Mongo
Tycho
Warpac
Penny
Wolf Dalviss
Timtenzekil

Abtaroh pulls out her scroll of Death Ward and casts mirror image.

images: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Tycho may try to Color Spray Dalviss when he comes closer; I think we need to be 100% focused on the Emissary when it gets here.

Mongo activates the sphere in his hand, casting death ward on himself. He then stows the sphere in his pocket and steps forward.

Tycho in his Abtaroh guise gets out a scroll and then casts a spell. There are now far too many of them!

Mongo activates the sphere they had and then pockets it, shifting position slightly.

Bolded may act:

Round 1:

Theodric Improved Invisibility
Mango
Melody
Mongo Deathward
Tycho 6 images
Warpac
Penny
Wolf Dalviss
Timtenzekil

Melody starts performing and moves up closer to the rest of the party.

If the GM is okay with a retcon, I would have cast heroism on Warpac too, once he asked.

He asked before things progressed so I’m fine with it. Warpac also has Heroism.

Melody starts a performance and gets into a better position.

Just waiting on Warpac since Timtenzekil can’t give Penny an order yet.

Bolded may act:

Round 1:
Inspire Courage +2

Theodric Improved Invisibility
Mango
Melody
Mongo Deathward
Tycho 6 images
Warpac
Penny
Wolf Dalviss
Timtenzekil